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Omission Impossible
Published: 10/7/2008 11:21 AM
Last Modified: 10/7/2008 11:21 AM

In Monday's Tulsa World, I listed the most productive offensive players in the Big 12 who played positions other than quarterback.
Notice that I used the word "productive" instead of "best" so as to eliminate things like potential and reputation, thus making the selection process more cut-and-dried.
Oklahoma fans might wonder about the omission of running back DeMarco Murray, who was hyped as a possible Heisman candidate in preseason (though, obviously, teammate Sam Bradford has better credentials).
Anyhow, Murray has yet to show he is among the Big 12's most productive players. Yes, he is the third-leading running back in the Big 12, averaging 86.20 yards per game while splitting time with other backs. But he's averaging less than a yard more than OSU's second-team running back, Keith Toston.
My opinion, you need to average 100 yards a game if you are going to be considered an elite Big 12 back. And while we all assume Murray can be a prime time player, he hasn't had the kind of breakout game necessary to merit a blue ribbon. Maybe soon.
At OSU, the big omission was tight end Brandon Pettigrew, an NFL-bound tight end. But Pettigrew has missed recent games with an injury and Missouri's Chase Coffman has emerged as the Big 12's most productive tight end. Pettigrew and OU's Jermaine Gresham are skilled, but they don't have Coffman's numbers.


Reader Comments 1 Total
cyco myko (4 years ago)
JT, I don't know how you've seen it, but it looks to me like DeMarco Murray has lost a step since last year. I know he was injured and rehabbing in the off season. This year he just doesn't look to have the same speed he had last year on those break-away runs.
And Gresham would have better numbers if he would stop dropping passes, including some for TDs.
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Tulsa World sports writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. He is the OSU basketball beat writer and a columnist and feature writer during football season. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

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